
"As soon as the Stasi discovered we wanted out, they made it difficult for us. We lost our jobs and they bugged our home and car and went through our flat when we were out." Her family was targeted too. They hounded her brother to deter him from leaving too. He tried to commit suicide and now lives in a special home for brain damaged people. Steffi August is sad but pragmatic.
"If you are not happy with something, whatever it is, change it. But you have to be ready for the consequences otherwise you won't have the strength to follow through. Change is a process not an event."
"But some new Zealanders do not appreciate what we have. We have privilege, we have jobs, homes and holidays. We have good food and a good country. We have to open our eyes. We are stressing about the little things. But they are nothing at all. Enjoy life."
"If you want to do something then just do it. Trust yourself, I wanted it and I did it." She holds a masters from the university of positivity and happiness.
Steffi August:
- Winner of the “Brightstar Emerging Speaker of the Year 2018” NSANZ
- Winner of the Fast-Track Scholarship NSANZ 2017
- Accredited Member of National Speakers Association NZ